David Lough: Offseason Training Secrets

In his first sustained big-league action last season as an outfielder with the Kansas City Royals, Lough turned enough heads to find his name on the offseason transaction list – a major compliment. While Lough looks compact and powerful on the field, it's possible they didn't know the body of a fitness magazine cover model lurked below the baseball uniform. "I've got 3-percent body fat, I just got that measured. I'm not a very big guy – people can't tell with the uniform on me," says Lough, who notched 90 hits in 96 games with the Royals last year. "But I take it very seriously and I can't walk to shower without people saying something to me. I'll try to put my shirt on as I'm walking back to my locker and hide it as best I can."

Most MLB players go hard in the depths of winter and then taper off before Spring Training. Lough says he stays focused up until the first day of camp, but he backs off the heavy weights as spring beckons, substituting plyometrics, speed training, bands, and even yoga or pick-up basketball for big weight. One day per week, though, is still reserved for a hard push, as the Orioles want their players to be able to max out every two or three weeks during the season. "I love working out. I love feeling the pain and the agony and destroying my body. There are times when I'm really tired and laying on the floor, gassed," says Lough, who has been working towards his CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) certification."When you first get on a baseball diamond, no matter what type of training you do, you'll still be sore. You're not working the same muscle groups you usually work in a gym. It's just one of those things," he says. "Baseball is just a different type of activity."